The Complete Guide to Microsoft Azure China

China’s cyberspace is governed by a distinct set of laws and regulations. As a result, cloud providers operating in Mainland China, including Microsoft Azure, must localise their services to remain compliant. This guide explains how to deploy and manage Microsoft Azure cloud services within Mainland China, including licensing requirements, compliance regulations, and performance optimisation behind the Great Firewall.

What is Microsoft Azure China?

Azure China (中国区Azure) refers to Microsoft Azure’s cloud services operated in Mainland China by 21Vianet (世纪互联), a Chinese internet data centre service provider. Due to China’s strict cybersecurity and data sovereignty laws, Azure China operates independently of Azure Global.

All operations within Mainland China are delivered and managed independently by 21Vianet in compliance with local regulations. When you use Azure China, you’re technically a customer of 21Vianet, not Microsoft. Azure China offers many of the same services as global Azure (including compute, storage, databases, AI, DevOps, and networking) through infrastructure located in Mainland China, enabling companies to meet China’s strict data residency, licensing, and cybersecurity requirements.

Is Azure Available in China?

Yes, but Azure China offers a limited number of services compared to Azure Global. As of December 2025, Azure China provides 52% of Azure’s global service offerings, with Azure China offering 104 services compared to Azure Global, which offers 199 services. To check Azure China’s exact service offerings, use their product availability table. 

Azure China operates through the following regions:

• China North (Beijing) 
• China North 2 (Beijing)
• China East (Shanghai)
• China East 2 (Shanghai)
• China East 3 (Shanghai)
• China North 3 (Hebei)

Each region is isolated and offers region-specific services to comply with the Great Firewall and related regulatory frameworks.

Azure China vs Azure Global

Azure China and Azure Global are separate cloud environments. This is the most important point for companies already using Microsoft Azure internationally.

Area	Azure Global	Azure China
Operator	Microsoft	21Vianet
Legal environment	Global Microsoft cloud regions	Mainland China national cloud environment
Portal	portal.azure.com	portal.azure.cn
Account credentials	Azure Global credentials	Separate Azure China credentials
Billing	Microsoft global billing	21Vianet billing in CNY
Service availability	Full Azure Global service catalogue	Limited China-specific service catalogue
Support	Microsoft Global support	21Vianet / Azure China support
Data residency	Depends on selected global region	Data hosted inside Mainland China regions
Compliance	Global cloud compliance model	China-specific compliance obligations

Can I Use Azure China with My Existing Azure Global Account?

No. Azure China and Azure Global are completely separate platforms operated by different companies under different legal frameworks. 

Why are They Separate?

Chinese law requires that local entities with proper telecommunications licenses operate cloud services in Mainland China. 21Vianet is the legal operator who owns and manages the infrastructure, handles billing, and ensures regulatory compliance, providing services in China on Microsoft’s behalf. Azure China is part of Microsoft’s National Clouds. 

This means:

• Billing is processed in Chinese Yuan by 21Vianet
• Data runs through datacentres in China to support local data residency requirements
• Support is provided by 21Vianet teams (not Microsoft Global support)
• You receive separate login credentials and management portals

What are the Technical Differences?

• No shared credentials. Azure Global account credentials don’t work in Azure China, and vice versa. Azure China (21Vianet) and Azure Global are separate cloud instances with separate authentication systems and separate portal sign-ins.
• Limited network connectivity. No VNet peering, ExpressRoute, or Microsoft-managed VPN between China and Global regions. You can’t directly connect networks from Azure public regions to Azure China.
• Different resource namespaces.Separate endpoints and different management URLs. The clouds use different web addresses for authentication, management, and service APIs.
• Separate management consoles. portal.azure.cn (China) vs portal.azure.com (Global), with separate environment settings in tools like PowerShell and SDKs.
• Service limitations. As stated above, not all Azure Global services are available in Azure China. Microsoft provides a list showing which services and features are available in the China regions.

Can Foreign Companies Open an Azure China Account?

Yes, but foreign companies usually need a Chinese business licence or local partner to open and operate an Azure China account.

How Do I Open an Azure China Account?

The key prerequisite to opening any cloud account in China, including an Azure China account, is a Chinese business license (营业执照). To create an Azure China account, you must first have a Chinese business license from a domestically-owned company, wholly foreign-owned enterprise (WFOE), or joint venture. If you don’t have a Chinese entity, you can work with a local entity such as AppInChina to set up an account under their entity.

What is the Application Process?

1. Visit the 21Vianet Online Services Portal 

2. Fill out the basic information as shown above. Note that you do not need to provide a Chinese phone number.
3. Create an Organisation ID. Here, you will be prompted to create a user ID, which is in fact an Organisation ID (OrgID) as detailed in section 2.1 of the Azure China GoChina Playbook. The OrgID you create here will be requested when signing the service deployment agreement with 21Vianet and will be set as the Enterprise Administrator once the account has been created.

4. Verify your identity. Enter a valid phone number to receive a verification code. This can be done by text or by call from a large selection of regional phone numbers listed in the drop-down menu.

5. Enter the verification code. Once you have entered the verification code, the OrgID you created will be reviewed for approval.

6. Sign the Online Service Premium Agreement (OSPA). Once approved, the OrgID created will act as the main credential used to purchase Azure China services. Next, you’ll need to sign an Online Service Premium Agreement (OSPA) with 21Vianet to begin using services.

What Account Types are Available?

Direct Online Service Premium Agreement (Direct OSPA)

The standard OSPA has a three-year term starting with a minimum initial annual commitment. Direct OSPA is signed directly between 21Vianet and the customer, with the customer paying directly to 21Vianet. Payment terms are typically 30 calendar days from the billing date.

Indirect Online Service Premium Agreement (Indirect OSPA):

Enterprise customers can also purchase Azure services through a partner. Under this model, customers sign a purchase agreement with a partner in addition to signing the Indirect OSPA with 21Vianet. Indirect OSPA is typically a 3-year commitment with annual payment and flexible billing options.

AppInChina can help foreign companies with no local Chinese entity open an Azure China account to deploy their services in China. 

Why Choose Azure China?

Azure China is ideal for enterprises already using Microsoft tools globally and seeking local cloud infrastructure inside China.

Microsoft Ecosystem Integration

If your company uses Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, Power Platform, or Azure globally, Azure China offers a familiar development environment and APIs. This makes migration and integration significantly easier for companies already using Azure globally. 

Data Residency & Compliance

Azure China is fully localised, all user data is stored within China, in accordance with China’s data sovereignty laws. This is critical for regulated industries like finance, healthcare, and SaaS platforms that need to comply with Chinese data protection requirements.

Government and Enterprise-Ready

Azure China is trusted by large multinational corporations and state-owned enterprises for deploying mission-critical workloads and public-facing services with high availability and local performance optimisation.

What is the Pricing?

All purchases are paid to 21Vianet, meaning there are some operational differences between Azure Global and Azure China purchasing:

• Pricing is in Chinese Yuan (CNY).
• Due to 21Vianet’s operations being based in China, a local VAT of 6% applies.

Azure China offers the following price incentives:

• Pay-as-you-go pricing.
• Compute pre-purchase (CPP), as an alternative to Reserved Instances in the China region.
• Azure prepayment, for upfront payments before using services. 

Visit the Azure China Pricing Portal for the latest prices in CNY.

Is Customer Support Available in English?

Yes. Azure China provides customer support in English for general inquiries, technical support (requires a paid Azure Support Plan), and billing guidance. While the local portal defaults to Mandarin, you can request English-speaking engineers for technical tickets. You can contact Azure China customer support via:

• Email: contactus@oe.21vianet.com (Official channel for general and business inquiries).
• Phone: +86 400-089-0365 (Main Support Line)
  • Working hours: 9AM to 6PM Beijing time (Standard support); 24/7 availability for Critical (Severity A) issues for customers with Standard, Professional Direct, or Premier plans.
• Online Chat: Available through the Azure China Portal for immediate assistance with billing or basic service queries.
• Console Support Case: Best for technical issues; submit requests directly via your Azure China management console to track resolution progress.

What Are the Technical Differences?

Azure China has several technical differences that affect migration and deployment.

The current page lists key differences including separate credentials, limited network connectivity, different resource namespaces, separate management consoles and service limitations.

Area	What Changes in Azure China
Identity	Separate accounts and credentials from Azure Global
Portal	Use portal.azure.cn instead of portal.azure.com
Endpoints	Different service endpoints and resource namespaces
Networking	No simple one-click extension of global Azure networks into China
Service availability	Not all Azure Global services are available
Billing	Handled by 21Vianet in CNY
Support	Handled through Azure China / 21Vianet support channels
Compliance	China-specific filings and cybersecurity obligations may apply

Azure China vs Other China Cloud Providers

Azure China is not the only cloud option in Mainland China. Companies should compare it against AWS China, Alibaba Cloud, Tencent Cloud and Huawei Cloud depending on workload, ecosystem, cost and compliance needs.

Provider	Best For
Azure China	Companies already using Microsoft globally and needing China deployment
AWS China	Companies already using AWS globally and needing China-region infrastructure
Alibaba Cloud	Broad China cloud coverage, strong local ecosystem and e-commerce/cloud integrations
Tencent Cloud	WeChat, gaming, social, media and China consumer internet use cases
Huawei Cloud	Enterprise, government, telecom, AI and infrastructure-heavy use cases

The best cloud provider is usually the one that matches your existing architecture, China compliance route, technical dependencies, cost structure and local operating needs.

What are the Compliance Requirements in China?

Azure China users must comply with Chinese regulations, including:

• ICP Filing (ICP备案). Mandatory for all websites or apps hosted in China. Required even if your domain is not registered in China.
• Commercial ICP License (ICP证). Required for platforms that conduct online transactions or provide paid digital services.
• PSB Filing (公安联网备案). Required registration with the Public Security Bureau once your ICP Filing is approved.
• Data Localisation.  Any personal or sensitive data collected in China must be stored and processed within China unless explicitly approved for export.
• MLPS Filing. Multi-Level Protection Scheme certification is required for systems processing certain types of data in China. 

Azure China does offer ICP Filing and compliance support. As part of our cloud deployment services, AppInChina offers a full compliance assessment to confirm what filing, licenses and certificates your solution requires to be compliant in China.

How Can AppInChina Help?

Setting up and operating Azure in China can be complex due to strict regulations and compliance requirements. 

At AppInChina, we can help you with: 

• Account Setup. We can open an Azure China account for your company without you needing to establish a Chinese entity. 
• Compliance Assessment. We provide a free assessment of your solution to determine which licenses, filing and certificates you require. Based on this, we will confirm what options are available to you.
• ICP Filing. We can obtain the ICP Filing for your Azure China Account along with any other necessary licenses, filings and certificates, such as the PSB Filing, to ensure your solution is compliant with local laws and regulations.
• Technical Support. We conduct an assessment of your current service stack and provide a suitable plan for your solution in China. We can help set up your cloud environment on Azure China to ensure that your solution works. We also provide migration assistance from Azure Global to Azure China, and integration with Chinese services like WeChat and Alipay.

Contact us to get started with your Azure China deployment.